Expert: Ken Rapoza Cruz - 5/6/2010

Question
Hi there. I am thinking of importing a campervan from brazil to the UK as they are cheaper. I would like some advice if this is a good idea or not?
i.e taxs, buying off the ebay site MercadoLivre (how safe) etc. any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you Pete

Answer
Bad idea. The taxes alone and the paperwork will make it a headache and not worth the savings. Figure if you can save at least 10k on it, then it is worth it. But I dont think you will save that much.  Plus, if you buy on MercadoLivre, I dont think the average sesller there is going to want to go through the hassle of selling it to someone abroad and then figure out how to get it to the UK. I would imagine that buying a campervan in Algeria would be just as cheap, and much closer!

Remember, lets say teh thing costs 5,000 pounds. You will have to pay another 30 to 40% in export taxes, most likely, bring that up to around 8,000 pounds. So you are paying 8,000 pounds for something that is worth 5,000 pounds at best. Isnt it better to pay 15,000 pounds for something worth 15,000 or even 8,000 pounds for something with 8,000? You are getting used and possibly damaged and unwarranted goods. If you bought brand new, you would still be subject to that high tax.